If I Hadn't Met You
by Wendy McCalister
Summary: Shuichi Minamino aka Kurama was demanding and insufferable; a cruel, taunting man who did nothing but ruthlessly order her around and Botan had no idea for how long she was willing to bear with him – but for her mother, she wouldn't hesitate to do anything. Anything at all, even if it meant having to be a maid for the devil… then again, maybe the devil wasn't as bad as she thought
1. Chapter 1

**If I Hadn't Met You**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

 **Summary: Shuichi Minamino aka Kurama was demanding and insufferable; a cruel, mocking man who did nothing but ruthlessly order her around and Botan had no idea for how long she was willing to bear with him – but for her mother, she wouldn't hesitate to do anything. Anything at all, even if it meant having to be the maid for the devil… then again, maybe the devil wasn't as bad as she thought.**

 **Chapter 1**

"Hurry up, Botan! I'm hungry!"

"Botan! I can't find my stockings! Oh… OH! I'm gonna puke!"

"Big sister, Rika just threw up!"

Botan's blue brows furrowed in frustration and a loud exasperated sigh escaped her as she listened to the loud yelling of her own siblings. She turned the stove off before putting the pancakes on for plates; each for one family member. Walking into the dining room with a tray containing their breakfast for the day, Botan calmly set it down on the table.

"What took you so long?" Souta complained and in a heartbeat, took his plate off the tray.

"Oh, stuff it, will ya?" Botan retorted back with a huff and took her seat on the table. She reached a hand to grab her plate, before finishing, "Just be glad I'm responsible enough to cook something."

She watched as her little brother tried vainly to pick up the bigger person known as Rika, her big sister and lay her on the couch. Sighing as Nouyato tripped on the vomit that Rika had puked out, Botan stood up from the table. She grabbed a dirty cloth, wetting it and started to clean the mess as Nouyato stepped out of the way and merrily made his way to the table.

"Then again, I'm _always_ the one who has to cook – or do any of the chores since _some_ people are just too lazy to get up and do anything," she went on grudgingly.

Souta ignored the part where his little sister had obviously meant him as one of the _some_ people and continued to say with a mouth full of pancake, "That's because you're the only responsible person in this household."

Without any sense of responsibility, he stood up from the table, leaving the empty plate of no pancakes on the table for his sister to wash.

Then, he grabbed his keys, stuffed in its pockets and made to leave. "More importantly, I've gotta fetch my girlfriend. Wouldn't wanna be late for my date," he said happily, opening the door only to stop when Botan suddenly yelled:

"Exactly! Why am I the only one being responsible here? I'm the third child – you and Rika should be the ones to take on all this responsibility but _no_ , I have to be the one to do the chores, pick up Nouyato from school and work part time for money!"

Souta stood there, staring at her with a look of surprise on his face while Nouyato was hiding under the table. Rika, however, remained unconscious on the couch.

"Uh… okay… I'll be going now…" Souta said uncomfortably after a few moments.

He scratched the back of his head and muttered something under his breath before turning to walk out the door.

Botan gave him one final disapproving look as the door closed and heard the sound of her brother's motorcycle starting, followed by the sound of tire screeching; signaling her brother had gone. She heaved out a sigh, before making to walk to the table and finish her breakfast only to notice Nouyato who was hiding under it and looking at her with wide eyes.

Feeling guilty all of a sudden because of knowing she had frightened him, Botan bent down and grabbed under his armpits, pulling him out from the table as gently as possible.

"I'm so sorry, Nouyato… I didn't mean to scare you," she said, giving him an apologetic smile as she patted his head.

"I-It's fine," he sputtered. "I should be the one saying sorry. Big sister, you've been doing all this tiring work… and I couldn't be of any help… I'm so sorry…" Nouyato looked down at his small feet as he said this.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Botan reassured him. "You're not at fault here – you're still a little kid. It's your brother and Rika over there," she tilted her head at the sleeping woman on the couch, "I'm angry at."

Botan sat down at the table, digging into her pancakes and Nouyato followed her actions. Neither said a word and just ate their breakfast.

"I hope they could at least help out a little…" she started after a long moment of silence, staring at the now almost empty plate in front of her. She paused, wondering if she should continue, but then she did, "I mean, I don't care if I have to do everything in this house… but can't Rika and Souta get a job? What did they think we need the money for?"

"It's for mama's surgery, of course!" Nouyato answered for her before she could utter a word.

She smiled at her brother's innocence, hoping silently in her heart he wouldn't end up the same way their older siblings did.

"That's enough," Botan said after they both had finished, "let's get you ready for school."

* * *

" _What_?" Botan nearly screamed. She ignored the weird looks other visitors at the hospital sent her way, and continued, "What do you mean, I have to pay for the surgery in less than two months?"

"Well," the doctor was slightly unnerved by her unwavering heated stare into his eyes, "I'm afraid your mother doesn't have very long to live."

Botan stared at him for a while; she couldn't believe this was really happening. She gulped, looking down and averting her eyes at her feet. "I thought you said you were going to help her?" she asked quietly.

The doctor gave her an apologetic look, which didn't serve to make her feel better at all, "We did all we can to delay the virus from spreading as fast as it normally would, but we weren't successful."

She lifted her head and squinted her eyes at him. "Did you? Did you really do everything to help our mother?"

"Yes," he answered simply. At her uncertain stare, he added, with a more gentle yet firm voice, "Trust me, we did."

She let out a sigh before turning around. "I see," she said in a low voice, still unwilling to believe it.

"It wouldn't be a problem if you have the money prepared though," the doctor told her in a panicky voice after realizing the girl was upset about the news.

Although he didn't realize that what he just said had only made her feel worse. She didn't know what to do anymore; the money she got from being a part timer at a café wasn't much and undoubtedly not enough for the surgery. She wanted to cry – her throat ached, and her eyes burned, but she held back.

She wouldn't give up now. After all this time she had been working hard so their mother could get better – the late night shifts, and having to deal with the perverted stares of the customers at the café; much more, having to bear with her irresponsible siblings – there was no way she was going to stop now. She would find a way. Things would work out somehow, she tried to think positively.

She was just worried about how Nouyato would take the news – not so much concern about Rika and Souta though. With dread, Botan made to leave the building; every step felt long as she walked.

* * *

Botan reached inside her right pocket and retrieved the house key. Inserting it into the keyhole, she pushed the door open. It creaked slightly, making Botan silently note to herself to fix it sometime later. She frowned when she realized the house was different. She switched the lights off before leaving and she didn't remember switching them on at all… and yet, they were on.

She gulped loudly as a thought occurred in her mind; did someone break in? If there was, did they take anything? Then again, she didn't see any broken windows so how could anyone get in?

She ignored the loud thumping of her heart in her chest, and advanced forward into the house, not forgetting to lock the door behind her – just in case, someone else came in uninvited. She sauntered into the kitchen, her legs trembling slightly and her right hand reaching out to grab one of the knives at the kitchen counter. Just in case, she thought, someone would attack her. She thought that was the most cautious thing she could do right now.

But then, she heard an amused chuckle behind her, followed by a male voice saying, "Do you really think you can hurt me?"

Botan turned around in one swift movement, ready to pounce on the intruder only to stop in her movements as she took in the appearance of the so-called intruder: there, with a hand on his hip and his right shoulder against the kitchen entrance, stood a tall and muscular boy with long black hair tied into a ponytail and purple eyes, smirking at her.

Unsure whether to be confused or alarmed, Botan pointed the knife at him and asked in a stern voice – or at least as stern as she could considering the fear she felt, "W-who are you? And what are you doing in my house?!"

Another chuckle escaped the stranger, though this one sounded cynical. "Put that knife down; you wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me anyway," he mocked before taking a step forward.

She backed away. "Answer my questions," she said, without acknowledging what he just told her.

He raised one amused eyebrow at her before letting out a burst of laughter, "Now, little girl," he started, trying to sound as friendly as possible, "put that knife down. Such a thing like that is unfit for a lady like you to be holding," he persuaded, a small smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

Despite not agreeing with his opinion of her – she didn't feel much of a lady – Botan put the knife down, but still held in her hand as she continued to stare suspiciously at him.

He didn't seem the slightest bit uncomfortable under her wary eyes and grinned, "For the answers to your inquiries, my lady," and there he goes again, "I'm known by the name Kuronue and I'm here to recruit you."

"That still doesn't answer my question about your identity," Botan retorted harshly, a hiss coming out of her mouth, "and what do you mean by recruit?"

Botan didn't know why, but he blinked. Once. And then twice.

"My dear girl," he said after a while of staring at her with a shocked expression, and sounded surprise for some reason, "you don't know who I am?"

"I haven't the faintest clue, Kuronue- _san_ ," her voice dripped with annoyance, the honorifics sounding sarcastic as it passed her lips. Didn't she just say she didn't know him? How many times did she have to repeat herself?

At her cluelessness, 'Kuronue' shook his head, a hand at his forehead and a sigh escaping him. "My, you're quite the odd little gal, aren't you? I'm Kuronue – the head servant for the heir of Minamino company," at the still ignorant look she was wearing on her face, he sighed once again, "you _do_ know the Minamino company, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Botan answered with a huff. "How naïve do you think I am?"

"Then what was with that look just now?" Kuronue asked in confusion, frowning at her.

She shrugged her shoulders. Feeling safe around this intruder and assuming he would've attacked her moments ago if he had any ill intentions, Botan put the knife at where it originally belonged and finally told him, "I'm just wondering why you're here in my house. You said you wanted to recruit me – for what, exactly?"

"To be a maid for the heir of the company himself of course," Kuronue told her with a big grin, "I suppose you know who he is?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why yes, of course," she said in a mockingly polite voice before saying, "More importantly, how did you get into my house – and why did he want someone like me as a maid?"

"I'm quite good at picking locks, and for your second question...Well, he didn't _exactly_ say he wants you; I mean, he doesn't even know you. He just sent me on my way to find a maid suitable for his taste," Kuronue gave in response.

Botan raised an eyebrow at him, "For his taste?" she pondered for a moment, before shrugging it off. Then, she asked another question, "So you mean you chose me yourself?"

His grin considerably widened. "Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Why? Hmm," he paused for a second, and then started, "I guess I could start by saying how I've been stalking you for two days now. I saw you when I went to your workplace and you seemed hardworking so I followed you home. I realized you were in quite a predicament, with your mother sick and none of your older siblings taking responsibility, and you also needed money. So I thought I might as well give you some help. I mean, you're quite what he needs – a hardworking girl that will most likely fit to serve him – and you don't have enough money for your mother's surgery and… what's with that look?" he inquired with blinking eyes at the half amused and half disgusted look she gave him.

"… Nothing," she answered after a long pause.

"Really?" he prodded but she paid him no mind.

"Anyway… so let's just say, I agree to work for him; how much money would I get?" she went on curiously, her eyes focused on Kuronue's face for any hints of him lying to her. There was none; but she still found it hard to believe what she just heard. Still, he was right; she needed the money and she didn't have time to think – her mother wasn't going to live for long.

"As much as you like," he smiled at her after realizing she was thinking the offer over, "So long as you completely do whatever he tells you to," he finished, his smile widening slightly at the thought of his master ordering the girl around. He could just imagine the scenario in his head and it was utterly laughable and amusing thinking how annoyed Botan would be then, but he stifled back the chuckle that threatened to come out of his throat.

Botan frowned at his last statement but then, she shrugged it off once again, and after thinking it through, she finally said;

"Alright, I'll do it."

* * *

"Who's this weird guy, big sister?" Nouyato asked as soon as he saw the unfamiliar face of someone he didn't recognize sitting beside Botan. He was still bewildered as to why his sister was with him, and why they were in his car.

Botan laughed at Nouyato's words, while Kuronue frowned at the thought of being called 'weird' by a small child.

"This," she said after laughing, "is Kuronue. He's… well, sort of, giving me a job," she continued, her voice slightly uncertain, as if she wasn't sure how to explain it to him.

Nouyato tilted his head at her. "Why? Don't you already have a job?"

"Part time job," she quickly corrected him, "and well… the salary I get from working at the café isn't enough. Nouyato, I was scared to tell you this but… the doctor told us we need the money in less than two months."

"Huh?! What does he mean by that, is mother—"

"But you don't have to worry," Botan instantly reassured him after seeing he was about to broke into tears, "Kuronue here is giving me a job where I'll receive a large amount of money – just enough to pay for the surgery."

He looked at Kuronue, who had been staring at the scene unfolding before his eyes. "Is that so?" he asked in a tiny voice at the taller male.

Kuronue nodded his head, before bending down until he was eye-leveled to the kid. He gave him a toothy grin, as if to reassure him everything was alright. Although he was still a little surprised to hear the shocking news about Botan's mother – he didn't expect that coming – he said with a friendly tone in his voice, "Yes, and hopefully, the master who wants to hire your big sister is willing to pay in less than two months."

"I hope so too," Nouyato sniffed, a childish grin finding its way to his face.

"But," Kuronue suddenly added – he didn't want to say it to the little kid, but he had to, in a hesitant voice, "she's going to be away for a long time… I mean, her _workplace_ ," he looked away when Nouyato's eyes began to water, "is really far away from here – she would have to stay at Tokyo… and you might not get to see her for a while."

"What?! But why?!" the little boy screeched, stomping his feet. "I don't wanna get separated from my big sister. If she has to work that far, then she shouldn't! Botan!" he hugged Botan all of a sudden, surprising both her and Kuronue, "Don't go!" he practically begged, wailing.

Her eyes softened, and slightly watered at the heartbreaking way her brother was acting. Kuronue had explained to her earlier about how she wouldn't be able to see her siblings, and although she didn't really appreciate the blunt way he had told Nouyato about it, Botan was a little glad at least she didn't have to do it. She wouldn't be able to say anything – if she knew Nouyato would cry like this.

She patted his small back, a sigh leaving her lips, "I know this is hard but," she pulled him away with gentle force, and smiled as sweetly as possible, "I have to do this for mother… and you have to stay strong for her sake as well, okay?"

Nouyato was reluctant. "But…"

"Please," Botan said in a desperate voice, "I need you to be strong. Keiko would be taking care of you guys from now on – since I know I can't count on Rika and Souta – so you'll be fine," she finished, slightly glad that she had her brunette friend who she could always depend on as her neighbor.

"Okay," he agreed after a moment of silence, looking down. He didn't like the idea of not seeing his sister, but… looking at the face she made when she begged him to be strong, he couldn't find the heart to refuse.

"Good boy," she smiled, leaving a peck on his forehead before pulling away, "We're here."

"Already?" Nouyato asked in disbelieve. Time flew by so fast, and he still wasn't ready to let his sister leave. This… was going to be the last time he would be able to see her face. For now, he reassured himself.

Opening the door before Botan could, he gave her one last hug. "Work hard," he tried to sound as supportive as possible, and after kissing her cheek, got out of the car. He closed the door behind him, watching as the car made a U turn and before he knew it, it was already leaving.

Botan nearly cried right then and there as she looked through the back seat window at Nouyato's figure, which was slowly drifting away. Work hard – he always told her that whenever she went off for work. She watched as he started chasing after the car, only to stop after he ran for three meters, as if he was torn between going after her and staying back.

The sight broke her heart, but she held back the tears. She always did, after all. And with a fake smile, hiding her true feelings, she turned to look at Kuronue who seemed to be sporting a sympathetic look on his features. She ignored it, and said almost too politely for his taste,

"I guess off to Tokyo we go, isn't that so, Kuronue-san?"

* * *

Botan watched in amazement as the silver gates in front of her automatically opened by themselves. She stared ahead at the huge mansion, "This is going to be my home for now, huh…" she said more to herself than to anyone in particular.

But Kuronue heard her, "I wouldn't call it home if I were you," he told her, his voice tinted in amusement as he closed the door of the car behind him. He walked, with Botan following behind him. "More like a prison, you see."

"Prison?" Botan tilted her head in half bewilderment and half curiosity.

"Yes. You see, a long time ago, Kurama used to have a lot of maids but now all that's left is me," he pointed at himself, "the cook, Yusuke and his bodyguard, Hiei. Not to forget Kuwabara of course – he's basically the gardener. Basically."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How come?" she inquired, wanting to know more.

"Kurama liked pushing the maids around like dogs – so much so that it came to the point every one of them quit and left. He got bored of not having one a week ago, and told me to go find someone suitable for the job."

"Which you think is me," Botan interrupted, inwardly saying to herself how demented this 'Kurama', the heir of the Minamino company, must be. She kept her thoughts to herself and continued, "Can I really make out of here alive?" she asked in the most unladylike way possible.

Kuronue chuckled at her choice of words. "Yes, I believe so. Kurama was never known to kill maids – at least not with his own hands," At Botan's pale face, he quickly added, "I'm just kidding," he laughed, waving his arms in front of him.

She gave him an annoyed look. "Thanks for that," she sarcastically said.

As soon as he opened the door, which was unlocked for some reason, Kuronue was greeted by the sight of Kurama looking at him with narrowed eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. He almost jumped at the redhead's sudden appearance.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Kurama ignored Kuronue's statement, and sternly told him instead, "Where the hell have you been? You've been gone for a week! Does it really take that long to find one maid?"

"Well, it _does_ ," Kuronue retorted back with a snort, "especially when you're looking for one who can stand your behavior." Paying no mind at all to the way the pair of emerald eyes glaring daggers at him for his statement, he went and introduced the blinking girl next to him, "This is Botan, the new maid you wanted. Your _toy_ from now on."

The girl in question frowned at the word 'toy'. She was in no possible way at all a 'toy', of all things. And she wouldn't let the redheaded emerald eyed boy staring at her with almost judging eyes to treat her in such a humiliating way. She would make sure of that, and let him know of it.

"I am not a toy," she started, drew a breath sharply before saying in a firm, and determined voice. She didn't waver, even as Kurama's face hardened, "and I will not be treated like one during my stay here."

He arched a red eyebrow at her, and for a brief moment, she saw his eyes glimmer in what she thought was a mix of mirth and curiosity, "You're quite the interesting one, aren't you?" he remarked simply, his eyes traveling up and down her body, before going back to her face, "However, I'll be the one to decide that, and you don't have a say in the matter, _unfortunately_ ," the last word was emphasized, as if he was trying to taunt her.

Botan gawked at him in disbelieve. Her shock soon died down however, and was immediately replaced by fury. "Why you—"

Whatever she was about to say was cut short by Kurama who had no interest at all to listen to what she had to say.

"Kuronue, fetch this," he paused, and for a moment, he cast a glance at her, before continuing, " _girl_ a maid outfit for her to wear. I am in need of her service right now, but before that – make sure you properly educate her with some manners. I'm afraid she's lacking in that department, as she was just about to curse at me – who I must say, is supposed to be her master."

"What!" Botan nearly yelled, surprised by the redhead's behavior. "You insufferable—" Thankfully, she wasn't able to continue when Kuronue cupped a hand on her mouth, silencing her, as the redhead left them to go into the confines of his work room.

"You know, if you really want to last long in this place, you might want to fix the way you talk to him."

* * *

"Is that all you need?" Botan asked in a quiet voice, setting the tea Kurama had asked her to make on the table.

He looked up from the book he had been reading to focus his gaze on her face. It lingered there for a moment, before glancing down at the cup of tea. "I don't know," he said at first, as if he was thinking of something. Then, he looked at her again, and came his order, "I want you to massage my shoulders."

She raised an eyebrow quizzically at him. The whole time she had been standing there, he had been reading and he didn't even show any signs of having stiff shoulders. Still, she complied, moving until she was behind him. Putting her petite hands on his broad shoulders, she started to work her hands on the spot there.

"How did Kuronue get you to agree to work here?" he suddenly questioned, and for a moment, she wondered if he was trying to make conversation or interrogate her.

There was a moment of silence, until she replied, in that quiet, polite tone she used earlier, "He didn't have to say much; I needed the money desperately, so I didn't want to refuse."

"Why?" he seemed to prod further.

She didn't acknowledge the question with an answer.

"You know," he started, when he noticed she was unresponsive, "for a maid, you're quite rude."

"Is that so, young master?" she asked, being polite and humble always, though he wasn't stupid. He caught the underlying sarcasm in her voice.

"Yes," he answered sharply, "Not only did you try to curse me in my own home, you also didn't answer my question."

"Then, how is a maid – or more precisely, _your_ maid – supposed to act?"

"Shouldn't you be aware of that already?"

"I wouldn't know, young master."

He frowned, irritation slowly rising in him at the polite way she was speaking. It wasn't sincerely polite – it was almost as if she was mocking him – for making fun of her and saying she lacked proper manners. She was pretending, like an actress would. A good one, at that. But he saw right through her act.

"What are you doing?" His voice was slightly harsh as he asked her this.

"Whatever do you mean, young master?" she continued to feign ignorance, despite already knowing what he meant.

"You're trying to be polite. Your stupid act's straining; I can read you like a book and it's hurting my ears to hear you talk like that," he told her firmly. Then, opening his book again, he added in a warning voice, "Talk normally."

"If I do that, you might get upset and tell me I lack manners," she said quietly. Her voice was almost inaudible, he had to strain his ears to hear her.

He snorted. "Well, that doesn't matter. _I_ will take matters into my own hands and make you a proper maid – without Kuronue's help. Goddamnit, that guy…" he muttered under his breath as he remembered how Kuronue ignored his earlier order about teaching the girl some manners.

"I'm afraid I'm not looking forward to it," she bitterly told him, and he laughed.

"Now _that_ sounds more like you," he remarked in slight amusement, his shoulders shaking as he continued to laugh.

"Stop that. You're making it hard for me to do my job here," she commented on the way his shoulders were moving.

"You're pretty serious about this, huh? I mean, about being a maid…" he said in curiosity after he had stopped laughing.

"Yes, of course. I've always been. Unlike _you_ , who is rich and is going to be the next one to be the head of Minamino company, I don't have a lot of money even though I need it."

"… How badly do you need it really?"

"Well…" Botan paused when she realized she was getting slightly too impersonal with this person, she stopped dead in her sentence. She wasn't willing to tell him about what was going on with her family – not just yet anyway. Kuronue knew because he had been watching her, but _this_ guy didn't have to know right away.

Changing the subject, Botan asked once again on that evening, "Is that all you need?" though this time her voice lacked the politeness she had earlier, and sounded more of an impatient question as it passed her lips, almost as if she couldn't wait to get out of the room.

"… Yes." Kurama caught the hesitant way she acted when he asked her that, and despite his growing curiosity, decided this wasn't the right time to force her to tell him. She just began, after all – he wouldn't want to make her quit right away. He needed her around longer and it was simply for the heck of it.

"You may leave now," he told her, waving her off in a nonchalant manner.

"I'll do that," she started, and then, "but before that, I want to ask you something," she finished seriously.

He didn't give a response, but merely regarded with a hum and that was good enough of a cue from him for her to continue, "Is it true that you're willing to pay me as much as I want?"

"As long as you do my bidding," he told her in a serious and firm voice.

"So it's true then?"

"Yes. I don't make promises I can't keep," he reassured her, but then, his voice turned cynical as he added, "As long as you do whatever I tell you – no matter how much you don't want to – then we won't have a problem."

She ignored her rising annoyance at the way he spoke to her, but decided to resist the urge to criticize him and merely bowed down. She hated doing this, but she had to. "Very well then," and with that, she straightened herself up, turned around and walked towards the door.

Although as soon as she reached for the doorknob, she turned her head to look at the cup of tea sitting neatly on the table. "And one more thing."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She lifted her gaze from the cup to his face. "Don't give orders for things you don't need – like that cup of tea. You haven't drink a drop of it," she told him, much to his surprise.

Emerald eyes blinked at her sudden statement, eyeing her as she looked away and twisted the doorknob. But before she could leave the room, he stopped her with his voice;

"We'll see how long you'll last here," and she turned to look at him with wide eyes. He was smirking at her, his mouth turned up in an almost challenging manner, and his emerald eyes held curiosity and mischief in them as he stared back at her. For a moment, she wondered what he was up to, but then just shrugged it off as she couldn't tell what he was thinking. One thing's for sure though: she wasn't going to back down.

"Challenge accepted," With that, she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Botan stood there for a moment, before descending down the stairs.

So much for that tea.

* * *

Kurama eyed the cup of tea, his smirk still attached to his face. And it widened even more, as he took the cup of tea into his hands. He had actually forgotten about it as he had been preoccupied with talking to the maid to notice. She did though, and her last words still took him by surprise, even know when he thought about it.

"Botan… huh?"

He raised the cup to his lips, tilting it slightly as he sipped it once. Then, his eyes widened as he stared down at his tea.

She forgot to put sugar.

"Pfft," he sounded, a hand covering his mouth in an attempt to stifle back his laughter. "The incompetent fool!" he cried out, though he didn't sound even the least bit upset. If not, he actually sounded amused, as if she just made him laugh.

He placed the tea down, putting an elbow on his desk and resting his chin on his palm. He smiled slightly as he averted his gaze to the door where she once stood.

He would enjoy observing her.


	2. Chapter 2

**If I Hadn't Met You**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

 **Chapter 2**

Botan stared down at the marvelous dishes set in front of her, her mouth hung slightly opened as her eyes widened in amazement. "This is amazing! Who made this?"

"Why me, of course," someone suddenly said, and she frowned.

She didn't recognize the voice and pondered who it belonged to, until the door creaked open and out poked the head of a black haired boy, his hair slick with gel and his brown eyes held pride in them as he gave her a toothy grin.

"Uh…" Botan was unsure of what to say, her amethyst orbs blinking at the unrecognizable face.

"This is Yusuke, the cook," Kuronue introduced, a hand extended at Yusuke, who was still only seen with his head.

"O-oh," she sputtered, inwardly reprimanding herself from being clueless. He had told her that he was the one who made the breakfast, so that made it obvious to who he was. Then, as if to regain what was left of her pride, Botan hid her embarrassment, and quickly added with a haughty tone, her nose up in the air, "So I see; he's one of the ones who's still willing to work for the young master, isn't he?"

She turned to look at Yusuke, whose grin widened at her choice of words. All the while, she ignored the unwavering glare Kurama sent at her direction. She spoke again, with the most polite tone ever, "I commend you for your hard work – it is obvious to me you are quite something to still be able to deal with," she paused, casting a brief glance at the redhead who was sitting in front of her, "my rather _unique_ master over there."

Kuronue held a hand to his mouth to stifle the amused chuckle that threatened to come out of him. The girl was surprisingly brave to even insult Kurama; her words must have gotten under Kurama's skin, he knew that for sure. What more was the way she said the word 'unique' – it sounded more like a sardonic and discreet insult rather than a compliment at all.

"I like ya," Yusuke told her, a laugh coming out of him. He finally entered the room, and Botan could finally see his full body. Unlike Kuronue, who was afraid to face the wrath of the young master, he openly laughed at him. "Yer really funny."

Botan blushed slightly at the compliment, muttering a quiet, and timid 'thank you' under her breath. She looked down at her lap to avoid meeting anyone's eyes, lest they knew she was nervous.

"Anyway, Kuronue," Yusuke chimed in, though this time he sounded confused. "She's gotta be the new maid, right? I thought ya said she arrived here yesterday evening? Why just now I'm seein' her for the first time?"

"Well…" Kuronue started to explain, only to trail off when he noticed the snicker on the cook's face. "What's with that look?"

"Nothin'," Yusuke replied all too teasingly for his taste, "Just thought ya hid her somewhere."

Kuronue gave him a deadpan look, not appreciating his friend's poor sense of humor. "You're quite wrong, Yusuke. She slammed the door and hid herself in the room I've prepared for her for the whole night. I have no idea why, but I can get an idea of what happened – and I had nothing to do with it."

"So that's kinda explains why I didn't see her…" Then, Yusuke cast a knowing glance at Kurama and added in a curious tone, despite having a vague idea of what made the girl do such a thing, "Still wonderin' why she did all that though."

Botan opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Kurama who spat harshly, "The stupid girl has poor manners, that's why. She is unfit to be my maid! I can't believe I even agreed to keep her here!" He then turned to Kuronue, his emerald eyes narrowed in fury. "I order you to fire her this instant."

"Now now, Kurama," Kuronue waved his hands in front of him, a grin appearing on his face. He tried to calm the redhead down, despite his half curious and half amused self – curious as to what Botan did to him, and amused to see Kurama acting in such a way. "I've only just gotten back after being a week gone. Surely, you wouldn't want me to fire her and waste all of my efforts of looking for her?"

Then, he took a sip of the green tea in front of him. Placing it down, he grabbed a fork and a knife; cutting the steak Yusuke had prepared in pieces, before sticking his fork into it. He put it into his mouth, chewing a little, before adding, "Plus, she's kinda hardworking. I think she suits your standards, Kurama."

"Suit my standards…" Kurama muttered those words grudgingly. He stared at the food in front of him – he didn't really have an appetite right now, considering the raging fire inside him.

Kuronue heard what the redhead said; everyone did, actually, despite his low tone. He covered his mouth, in an attempt to hide the amused smile that had managed to find his way to his face. "What did she do to you that made you so angry really?"

"You want me to put it as harshly or as politely as possible?" Kurama asked, his voice rough as he looked up from the food to Botan's face. She glared at him and he glared back – neither willing to back down. "Though in my opinion, I think the latter is better."

Kuronue raised an eyebrow at him, before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, put it anyhow you want to," he told him nonchalantly.

"Very well then," Kurama spoke with the utmost tact possible, but everyone in the room caught underlying irritation in his voice. "Not only did she yell at me and called me something among the lines of 'ungrateful and insufferable bastard', she also slapped me. Hard. In the face."

Botan watched as his hands gripped his cup of tea, his hold almost vice like before loosening his hold around it, and then gripping again and loosening again. He repeated it over and over, almost as if he was imagining it was her neck he was gripping. He then loosened his hold again, and Botan could tell right there and then he was trying not to break it.

In spite of noticing his obvious wrath, Botan snorted, the pride in her not letting her back down without arguing back. "I only did that because you told me I forgot to put sugar in your cup. When I came back with another one, you spat it out and said I put too much sugar. I told you you were demanding, and you got angry, spilling the tea – which I must add, for your own entertainment, since you seem to like making me go through hell; spilled all over my feet. I only did the only thing I could right then; nothing more and nothing less. Surely, you didn't expect me to bow down and say thank you, did you?"

Kurama's glare intensified – to the point it literally looked like he was trying to burn a hole into her head. He said nothing, lest he thought he would make her cry. Then, as if trying to change the subject, he averted his gaze at Kuronue, ignoring the half amused and half surprised look he was wearing and pretending not to notice the snickering Yusuke.

"Where the hell is Kuwabara? I hope he's not making a mess out of my garden again."

* * *

A knock sounded at the door. "Excuse me," came a muffled and feminine voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in," Kurama said, sounding as calm as possible. Though he was only trying to hide his annoyance, after realizing who it was.

The doorknob twisted, and the door opened, revealing Botan who had a cup of tea in her hands. He looked up from the piece of paper he had been examining, to look at her face and quickly noticed the look of repressed anger on her features. "

"I hope this tea is sweet enough for you," she started venomously, narrowing her eyes at his direction, "so you wouldn't spill it on me again – but if it isn't, then I'll stand still and _gladly_ let you throw the tea I made myself at me again," she finished in a sarcastic tone.

Kurama raised an eyebrow at her, eyes eyeing her as she walked towards his desk and placed the cup of tea down. With that, she looked into his eyes with raging fury in them, "Is that all you need?"

He stared at her and wondered for a brief moment whether she was discreetly trying to make him apologize or was hurt enough to mention his injustice twice. Either way, it didn't matter. What _did_ matter though, was the fact that he was uncomfortable with the tension between them right now. Things weren't going well, and they just met for two days – but he'd rather keep their relationship friendly as long as possible. Realizing he had to fix this someway, Kurama inwardly sighed. He would have to apologize, he knew that already. Usually, he wouldn't waste his breath to say 'I'm sorry' to a maid, of all people, but he would make an exception for her. Just this one time – the first time and the last time.

"Listen," he paused, clearing his throat, and then, averted his eyes, "I'm sorry for what happened yesterday – that was my fault. It was injustice to you as a master for my part."

She paused for a moment, taken by surprise by his sudden apology. But then, she smiled and let a small giggle escape her, attracting the young master's attention. He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what was funny. She collected herself, trying to sound composed as possible, but failed when her voice showed obvious amusement, "Young master, the first thing you need to do when you apologize, is look into the eyes of the one you're saying sorry to. It is obvious this is your first time, and I will accept that horrible excuse for an apology as I can tell you're not used to this kind of thing."

"Ha!" he scoffed, but smirked at her. "Don't expect another one coming in the near future. _That_ will be the one and only time."

Her smile widened considerably. "I understand."

It wasn't much of an apology, she was aware of that. But considering who he was and _how_ he was, Botan thought it was a huge step for the young master to do something like that – especially to her, who has been on his bad side most of the time. So she would accept it for now, but she silently noted to herself to teach him how to properly apologize sometime later – despite him saying that would be the last time he would do it.

"Anyway, where is Kuronue?" he asked, all friendliness aside and his stern side taking over. "I thought I told you to go fetch for him?"

"Yes, well, he told me he's on his way. He said he needed a break to drink some tea before discussing business with you," she told him, and after ignoring his curse at Kuronue for taking a serious matter so lightly, asked cautiously, "If you don't mind me asking, what is the business you wanted to talk about?"

His gaze focused on her for a moment, before he clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. He heaved out a sigh, and then said in defeat, "Considering you will be working for me from now on, I suppose I should let you in on the details. You know what my company deals with, right?" At her oblivious stare, he narrowed his eyes, repeating himself again – this time sounding demanding as he spoke, " _Right_?"

She gave him a nervous smile, and resisted the urge to hide herself under a rock so no one would ever see her again at the look he gave her. He looked incredulous, surprised, and irritated – all at the same time.

"Um…" she started, fidgeting slightly under his unwavering stare, which only seemed to intensify the longer she paused. She glanced here and there in the work room, before clearing her throat and continuing, "I-I know Minamino company is a well known one; and that you're going to be the head of it when your father passes away. T-that's all I know," she sputtered.

He sighed, closing his eyes in annoyance at her ignorance. "Seriously," he said in a quiet voice, "how naïve can you get?"

Not paying any mind to the pout forming on the girl's face at his words, Kurama went on, unclasping his hands and leaning back in his chair for a more comfortable position, "Minamino company is a gaming company. In other words, it deals with those games you play on PSP. We mostly specialize on horror games, but that's not the point. As we make games, we get the most money out of our sales – much, much more than other companies, seeing as many parents buy them for their children. With that said," he sipped the tea she made, silently noting to himself she put the right amount of sugar in it this time, "a lot of companies want to collaborate with us. However, as one might think, there are a few people who come close to me either for the money – or simply to take over my job in the future, which is head of the company. Which is why, once in a while, someone from another company _visits_ ," she noticed the way he rolled his eyes as he spat the word out, "my house to discuss business matters with me and Kuronue – who is not only the head servant of this household but also my assistant."

"I see," Botan nodded her head in understanding, and then paused, taking the information in. After a couple of moments, she inquired curiously, "So who's the one coming over this time?"

"Mr. Fubitake," Kurama answered simply. She watched as a dangerous smirk formed on his face, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. "He's one of the few who is after my money… the stupid fat man would be a fool to think I didn't know that. I could smell a liar like him a mile away."

An amused smile reached her lips, and she jokingly added, "Really? I could hardly tell."

"Hmph," he sounded off, but the smirk was still evident on his face. If not, it seemed to widen even more as he countered, "You wouldn't know even if you went to a liar detector school."

Then, as if he was just realizing something, his smirk felled, and his eyes widened. He then lifted his head and stared at her with a surprised face. "It just came to me but… don't you have school or something? I mean, it's Monday… shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Botan, now understanding the reason behind his expression, couldn't help but smile bitterly at him. To be honest, she quit six months ago so she could work. Her family didn't have enough money to pay for both her and Nouyato's school fees, and she was forced to stop going to school so that her little brother wouldn't have to. The teachers at her previous school were reluctant at first, as she was an honor student, but knowing how things were in her family, they complied with her wishes and supported her decision.

"My… family's poor and we can't afford the school fee so I stopped going half a year ago. I felt sorry for my brother if he was the one who had to quit, so I did instead," she answered after a long pause. She stared as he gave her an incomprehensible look, almost as if he didn't expect to hear that. Then, she heard him clear his throat and saw him look away.

"… I see," he paused, and then, after a moment of silence, spoke again, "So is that why you wanted to work for me? So you could get enough money to go to school again?"

Botan opened her mouth but then closed it again, as if she was still unsure whether she wanted to tell him the truth. The truth was that she was going to pay for her mother's surgery… and when she got better, she thought she and her mother could perhaps work and earn some money to get her back to school. It was a pleasant thought, but she didn't do all this for that small reason – she did this for her mother's health. She felt bad – however, she wasn't ready to tell Kurama everything yet. So, against all of her better judgment, she lied,

"… Yes."

The minute she said that, he knew she was lying.

Her voice was hesitant and barely audible; her eyes avoided his deep gaze, and she was fidgeting a lot. From her eyes and from the way she moved, Kurama could already tell she wasn't telling him the truth. For what reason, he didn't know.

Two thing's for sure though:

One, he told her he was a lie detector and she had obviously underestimated his abilities to differ between a lie and the absolute truth.

Two, he would play along for now as he could tell whatever it was she was hiding from him, it was too personal for her to trust him enough to tell him.

"Alright then," he said after staring at her for the longest time.

The moment those words passed his lips, Botan exhaled the breath she had been holding in without realizing it. For a brief second there, she thought he was on to her. His eyes seemed to penetrate her soul, as if he was looking right through her – so much so, that Botan was wary if he believed her. Thankfully, he did.

 _Or so she thought_.

"Okay," she agreed, nodding her head. Then, after relaxing a bit, she asked, "Do you want me to get you something?" when she noticed he was still staring at her.

He sat there, eyeing her every movements. And after a second of putting much thought into it, he said with the utmost tact he could muster, "The minute he steps in, can you tell Kuronue for me that I'm cancelling our business plans? I don't really want to deal with him right now."

Botan frowned at his command; it wasn't a question – it was an order, and she knew that. An order that held underlying strictness despite his gentle way of saying it, almost as if he was giving no choice for her to refuse – not that she could – or question him.

"If you say so," she complied, before asking quietly, "So what are your new plans for today? Sit here and do nothing?"

A chuckle escaped Kurama at her last statement. It was bordering on an insult to him, but it was amusing to hear her say that. For a moment, he noted how strange she was. He wasn't sure if she just had nerves of steel or if she was just plain stupid – but she definitely didn't hesitate to say anything she had in mind, even to him. While other maids used to be scared to death of him, and didn't dare to utter a word to him unless he said so, this girl standing in front of him was unlike them. She was blunt, insulting and impulsive; she was haughty, and she wouldn't think twice to argue back at him – and her personality, in its own unique way, was actually quite refreshing.

He got up from his chair and walked towards her, a small smirk attached to his face as he stared back at her questioning gaze.

"I'm thinking of spending today with you."

"What?" The question nearly came out as a yell, but she managed to half shriek instead. She looked at him with eyes wide as saucers, and he ignored her surprised expression, reaching a hand to grab hers and started pulling her along with him as he walked, opening the door.

"Wait," Botan tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but to no avail, so instead of trying to escape, she inquired in curiosity and slight suspicion, "Where is all this coming from?"

"You sound like you don't trust me," he remarked with a laugh.

"I _don't_ ," she retorted back with a huff.

"Well, you should," he said as they stopped at the staircase, "No worries, I have no ill intentions towards you, nor do I have an agenda," he then added in reassurance, giving her a smile to emphasize his point. "I just want to get to know you better."

"Really?" Botan was doubtful.

"Yes," he answered simply. Then, looking ahead at the end of the staircase, he caught sight of Kuronue staring at them with bewildered eyes. "So you've finally showed up."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I was having treats and…" his voice trailed off when he noticed their joined hands. Looking up from their hands, he focused his gaze on Kurama's face, and gave him a suspicious stare. "… what are you up to?"

Kurama let out a loud exasperated sigh, rolling his emerald eyes. "Why is it that every goddamn person in this household thinks I'm up to something?"

"Well… you're usually not that friendly with maids…"

"Whatever," Kurama responded, before letting go of Botan's hand and tilting his head at the right, gesturing to her room, "You should go get ready. I don't have any intention to drag you around town wearing that," He ignored her quizzical look, and the way she touched the hem of her long black skirt, and finished in a stern voice, "I'll be waiting here, and you better don't make me wait."

"Wait wait," Botan was about to do what she was bidden, only to stop when Kuronue stopped her with his voice, "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, right. I can't believe I forgot," Kurama said with a laugh, before turning to look at Botan, "Go ahead, tell him."

"Ah… um… the young master has plans for him… and I… so he wants to cancel the business meeting you're about to have with Mr. Fubitake…" Botan muttered, but Kuronue seemed to hear her clearly, though he had to strain his ears to hear her.

She was frowning, Kuronue noted, making him realize she was just as bewildered as he was. But the confusion died down soon after, replaced with annoyance, as he exclaimed, "What the hell do you mean? Mr. Fubitake's going to be here any minute now! I talked to him on the phone, and he said he was on his way. There's no time to cancel anything!"

"Then you deal with him," Kurama retorted nonchalantly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he added, "by yourself."

"What? I can't deal with a man like him! He'll end up pushing me over the edge, and I'll end up killing him. If that happens, then his blood isn't on my hands – it's on yours. I'm not going to be responsible for whatever—"

"Shut up and do as I say."

"… Fine."

Turning his head to the left, this time he referred to Botan as he spoke sternly, "What are you doing, still standing here like an idiot? Go ahead and get changed already!"

Botan, who had been laughing at the funny scene between Kuronue and her young master, couldn't help but almost jump at his loud voice. Inwardly sighing, she looked at him with an exasperated look on her face, before turning on her heels to do as she was ordered.

"Impatient jerk," he distantly caught her saying.

He smirked.

* * *

"What do you mean, she went to Tokyo?!" Souta shrieked, his voice so loud it would've made the neighbors angry.

"Like I said," Keiko started, crossing her arms over her chest, "she's over there for work. She texted me yesterday and explained that she was offered a job that she would earn enough money from to pay for your mother's surgery."

"… Sounds like a trick to me," Souta retorted with a huff, copying her as he crossed his arms, "I bet she's been kidnapped."

"You don't know that," she countered as a matter of factly.

"Well," he shrugged off his shoulders, "One thing's for sure, I don't really care. If she really does get a lot of money, then this could all be solved. I'm kinda sick and tired of all this shit going on."

"Hmph," Keiko rolled her eyes, before glaring daggers at him, "Like you're the one to talk. Your little sister at Tokyo working her butt off for this family, and you've got nothing to say but just that? And where the hell were you? Nouyato told me you went on a date yesterday, but _now_ you just got back. What were you up to?" she began to interrogate him.

He ignored her, walking over to the couch and after retrieving the TV remote, opened the television.

"You didn't sleep with your girlfriend, did you?" Keiko prodded, but he remained unresponsive, further confirming her suspicions.

She sighed, and went inside the kitchen. She opened the fridge, and after looking through what was in there, sauntered back and poked her head out of the kitchen entrance.

"What would you like to eat today, Nouyato?"

"Anything's fine, Keiko-san," Nouyato answered, lacking the usual enthusiasm he has in his voice as he said this. He exhaled a deep sigh, and Keiko couldn't help but feel sorry at the sad look on his face. She knew he missed Botan; she could tell, but they could do nothing for now.

Keiko sighed yet once again that day, and turned to look at Souta's blue head peeking from the couch. "You know, you can actually help me if you want to."

"Nah," his voice was muffled, as if he was chewing on some chips or something, "I'll pass."

Hearing his answer, the brunette glared furiously at him, not even caring if he couldn't see her. She was indignant; how could he say that? He was still planning to slack off even after what has happened? She couldn't believe it. Sighing again and shaking her head, Keiko called him in annoyance, "You're the worst brother ever."

"Yeah!" Rika, who had been sitting beside Nouyato at the table, exclaimed. "You've gotta get your lazy butt off that couch and start getting a job, Souta! If you have time to sleep around with girls, then maybe you should cut Botan some slack and help her out?!" she told him, despite the fact she was on the same level as he was.

"Oh really?" Souta replied in sarcasm. He turned around to look at his sister with a deadpan stare. "What about you then? You're just as bad as I am!"

"Huh?! What do you mean?"

"I mean what I mean! You stupid alcoholic… you go to the bar, and get drunk and come home late, and puke all over the place! You're much more of a trouble to her than I am, stupid sister!"

"What did you just call me? You wanna a piece of me or something, boy?!"

"That's fine with me!" Souta got up from the couch, the same time Rika stood up from her chair. He rolled up his sleeves, and cracked his knuckles. "Bring it!"

"Come on then! If you think you're man enough to hit me, then do it!"

Keiko couldn't believe it; they were actually bickering with each other. At a time like this, they shouldn't be fighting like this… Then, she saw Nouyato jumped off from his chair, and before she could stop him, he ran into his room with his eyes shut tight and his hands covering his ears. The next thing she heard was the sound of the door slamming shut.

She shook her head, and sighed for the umpteenth time that day before making to stop the fight between Souta and Rika. She didn't know how Botan could deal with them every day… She wasn't sure if _she_ could do the same.

But this was the only thing she could do for her friend; and she had to do it.

Whatever she was doing and wherever she was at, Keiko just hoped Botan was alright. She prayed that things would turn out fine in the end.


End file.
